Michael Owen has predicted Liverpool to draw on Saturday when they welcome great rivals Manchester United to Anfield.
The Merseyside club go into the Premier League clash on the back of just one victory in their last seven games across all competitions.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will be looking for a positive result to get their mediocre start to the league season back on track as they currently sit just seventh in the table.
They have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of the weekend as key attacker Sadio Mane could miss up to six weeks through injury and they will need to find a solution without him.
Meanwhile, United are joint-top of the league after going unbeaten in their opening seven league games and look a formidable force this season.
Jose Mourinho’s side are without midfielders Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba due to injury, but have a strong squad that will be confident of another win.
Owen, who previously played for both Liverpool and United, has been unable to split the sides during his pre-match prediction and has tipped a 1-1 result.
“Jose Mourinho’s side “parked the bus” in the corresponding game last season, have only conceded in one league game so far this term and I don’t expect they will play an expansive game on Saturday,” Owen wrote in his column for Bet Victor.
“Liverpool will play the only way they know at Anfield and that is to attack and it promises to be a fascinating game. The game will be played in a white-hot Anfield atmosphere and I cannot split the sides.”
OPINION
Liverpool will start as slight underdogs against United despite home advantage on Saturday and will need a fast start if they are to pick up three points. High-intensity attacking football is the only style that manager Klopp knows and his side will be looking to blow their opponents away in the opening half an hour. They will need star men such as Phillipe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah to be on top of their game if they are to break down a formidable defence. United will grow into the game the longer it remains goalless and have shown this season they have the firepower in attack, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Romelu Lukaku in brilliant form.